Why skin tags occur

Skin tags are made of loose collagen fibres and blood vessels surrounded by skin. Collagen is a type of protein found throughout the body.

Both men and women can develop skin tags. They tend to occur in older people and people who are obese or have type 2 diabetes. Pregnant women may also be more likely to develop skin tags as a result of changes in their hormone levels. Some people develop them for no apparent reason.


Skin tags tend to grow in the skin folds, where the skin rubs against itself, such as on the neck, armpits or groin. This is why they tend to affect overweight people who have excess folds of skin and skin chafing.

When they are a problem

Skin tags are harmless and don’t usually cause pain or discomfort.

However, you may consider having skin tags removed if they’re affecting your self-esteem, or if they snag on clothing or jewellery and bleed.

You’ll usually need to pay to have this done privately. This is because skin tag removal is regarded as cosmetic surgery, which is rarely available through the NHS.

Treatment 

We use hyfrecation. This is a fast and very effective treatment - with instant results.

The hyfrecator, which is a form of electro surgery, is used on a low-powered medical setting. This destroys tissue directly.Treatment is usually very well tolerated without any local anaesthetic. However, we can make it pain-free by applying a numbing cream.

Cost